Thaw Slowly
by Water-star
Summary: "Love will thaw..." He was told once by a wise soul and he could hardly wait for the day when Elsa's icy walls would finally melt. Five, ten, twenty, fifty years from now - it doesn't matter. One day she will let her heart thaw and they'll be free to love one another.
1. Prologue: And I will try to fix you

_Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen, nor How to train your dragon, or any of the lyrics used throughout this fanfiction. This is simply for entertainment purposes, not profit._

_In saying that, hope you all enjoy!_

* * *

><p><em>When you try your best, but you don't succeed<em>

_When you get what you want, but not what you need_

_When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep_

_Stuck in reverse..._

_And the tears come streaming down your face_

_When you lose something you can't replace_

_When you love someone, but it goes to waste_

_Could it be worse?_

_Lights will guide you home_

_And ignite your bones_

_And I will try to fix you_

- Coldplay

* * *

><p><em>The wind howled and snow whirled around Elsa mercilessly as she ran through the blizzard. The storm wouldn't cease and promised to bring destruction to all who was unfortunate enough to be caught in its grasp. Just like the turmoil raging within her aching heart.<em>

_**No, no, no! Oh Lord, why? **__She wondered as tears cascaded down her fair cheeks. __**Why Anna? Why her? Hasn't she already suffered enough during these past thirteen years? Why her? Why not me? **_

_"Anna..." she sobbed brokenly. Although she wanted nothing more in that instant to return her sister's side and mourn her death, the Queen knew it was impossible. _

_"Guards! Seize her!" _

_She had heard the Duke of Weaselton order whilst Elsa clung to her sister's frozen form and Elsa knew that she had no other choice, but to flee. __Not because she wanted to live - Oh no, she did not have that right. She was a monster - but the snow maiden knew she couldn't die even if she wanted to. The way she had fought against the Duke's men during the invasion was proof of that. The fact that her subconcious activated her magic and protected from their attacks. Insticts kicked in and she almost killed the both of them without even realising it - oh Lord, if it had not been for Prince Hans... _

_Mother & Father would've been horrorified._

_"QUEEN ELSA!" she heard her name being called out. She instantly recognised the voice to be of the blonde man who escorted Anna to the north mountain and another wave of guilt rushed through her. "STOP! COME BACK! ANNA IS-"_

_**No, stop! I don't want to hear! **__She thought, shutting her eyes and clapping her hands over her ears. _

_The wind blew even harder and snow swirled around her trembling form; protecting her, isolating her. _

_She was an outcast to the land she was meant to reign over, a traitor to the people she was suppose to protect, a traitor to her family, a disgrace to the honour was meant to uphold as a royal and worse, a murderer to the one good thing left in this wretched world. _

_Now she was all alone, just as she had always wanted and it was entirely her fault._

_There was nothing left for her in the frozen kingdom of Arendelle._

* * *

><p>Hiccup awoke cold &amp; shivering.<p>

While it was not surprising considering it snowed nine months of the years and hailed the other three months on the island of Berk, it was still rather alarming to find his entire room _(and much to his dismay, his bed)_ covered in frost & snow.

Alarmed, he turned to his side, wondering if his village was enduring some sort of monstrous snow storm, or if he had simply left his window open again. However, his gaze softened a moment later when it caught sight of the petite figure slumbering next to him.

"Oh Elsa..." he murmured, realising now the culprit to the sudden chill.

_She must be having another nightmare. _He thought somberly, watching the tortured expression etched across her face. The Viking Chief felt a stab of hopelessnesses and he wondered for what must've been the millionth time since their first encounter, if things would ever get easier between them.

_Beware the frozen heart, Hiccup. _His mind cautioned, reminding him despite the many trails they've faced together so far; they were rather miniscule in the grand scheme of things. His concious would constantly taunt him for his failure that he, Hiccup Horrendous the Third, Chief of Berk and Tamer of Dragons, couldn't even keep his wife's powers at bay.

For him, everyday was a battle to get one step closer to understanding her a little bit better. At times, he felt like a small flame trying to melt the Bewilderbeast's icy domain, leaving him to ponder whether or not there's still some naivete` in him - or if he's just a hopeless fool who thinks his love is enough to thaw the icy wall surrounding Elsa's heart.

_Jeez, some great husband I turned out to be! _He couldn't help from noticing how bitter he sounded, even in his own head. _Hel, I couldn't even protect my first wife from-_

No, stop. He needed to calm down. That was then and this is now. The past was is the past and he could only look to the future, for the sake of himself, Toothless, his people & his bloodline.

Besides, Astrid would be disappointed if she knew that he was still bitter about her death.

And he shouldn't be, he knew that, but that didn't stop him from wondering how different things would've panned out had he not gotten her pregnant. Well, he's got a _vague _idea of what it might've entailed and as hard as it is to admit it; he's glad that everything happened the way it did. If not, he might not have ever met Elsa and just that thought is enough to make his chest _ache_.

His time with Astrid was like a lightning storm - beautiful, thrilling, unique. Every moment was like a lightning bolt, not only spectacular and fleeting, but unforgettable.

Astrid was lightning, whilst Elsa was a force of nature. She was strong, powerful, _unstoppable_. She could conquer lands and freeze oceans in a blink of an eye, and yet, had a heart as pure as snow. _Being_ with her was like a snow storm; cold, rugged, blinding, fierce and sometimes scary. However, at the end of it all, the skies will clear and the world will be surrounded in beauty.

So even though he still loved Astrid & their unborn child and would continue to do so until the day he died - Hiccup loved Elsa even _more_. Which was funny because never in his twenty-four years of existence did the Chief of Berk believe he could ever love anyone nearly half as much as he had loved Astrid. And yet, here he was: lying in his snow-ladden bed with one of the most beautiful beings to have ever graced this earth. Even if he was being frozen in the process.

"Elsa..." He said, placing right onto her shoulder, trying to wake her up. "Psst Elsa!"

"Mmm..." she groaned sleepily. "Anna, go back to sleep."

Hiccup pouted, feeling a sudden surge of petty jealously upon being mistaken for her beloved baby sister and decided to brush it off. After all, it wasn't Anna's fault that Elsa loved her more than she loved her own husband.

_That's not fair, _the rational part of him said. _You love Toothless just as much you love her, just in a different way... He taught you that you were capable of loving and being loved. The same goes for her too._

"Nice try," he retorted with that annoying sarcasm of his. "But not even close."

She frowned slightly, as if trying to distinguish whether his voice was apart of her dream or a part of reality. A moment later, she started stirring and she finally opened her eyes.

"Hiccup...?" she murmured confused, realisation seemed to kick in as she bolted upright. "Oh no! Not again! I didn't get you this time, did I? Are you okay? Oh you're shivering! I'll go get Toothless!"

"Whoa, whoa! Steady, Elsa." He said calmly, placing a firm grip onto her shoulders before she jumped out of bed, ran downstairs and awoke the Night Fury, who would be blissfully slumbering downstairs next to the fireplace at this moment. Sliding his hand down to her breast plate, he noted with a frown that her heart was beating at an extremely rapid rate. "It was Anna this time, wasn't it?"

Her azure blue eyes widened. "You could tell?"

"Well when you usually freeze the entire room, it's usually to do with Anna. Other times, you just encase yourself in ice and turn really cold."

A gasp escaped his wife's lips and she covered them with her hands after she looked around the bedroom and realised the extent of damage she caused. Tears began to prick at the corner of her eyes and the Viking felt a surge of panic.

"Oh there's even iciles hanging from the ceiling! And the walls too! I hope none of your sketches or maps got damaged!" she rambled on, looking distressed. "Oh Hiccup, I'm so sorry! I screwed up again!"

Usually the snow maiden was a lot more composed in times of distress, so composed some would say that she was as cold as the ice that she manipulates so freely. It's hard to see her during those times, however, it was even harder seeing her so pained right now.

"Hey, you're looking at the Master of Screw-ups." He said chuckled, cupping her small face into his hands. His green eyes gazed into her blue ones and he decided whichever deity graced him with the presence of this magnificent woman; they had his eternal gratitude. "Screw-up is my middle name! Well, technically it's Horrendous... but you get the point. And let me tell you, I've got a pretty impressive line-up! So you're out of luck, Snowflake."

Normally, she would've raised an eyebrow, smirked a little and then made a light jab about Vikings & their terrible name-calling. But not tonight. Great. No, it's always a lot more difficult to pull her out of this mood whenever it involved the former Princess of Arrendelle. A touchy subject that Hiccup always had to tread carefully around, or disaster may strike.

"You know Anna would be really upset if she knew you were still blaming yourself..." He prodded gently, knowing that he must've sounded like the biggest hypocrite of all time.

"So would Chief Stoick." She shot back, as if reading his mind, but her reply lacked bite.

"Yeah..." he agreed, letting of her face. His eyes glazed with guilt. After all, if he still blamed himself for Stoick's death, how could he tell Elsa to let go of her mistakes, when he couldn't even forgive himself for his own?

"Let it go, Hiccup." She told him, raking her fingers through his rugged dark hair.

"Are you going to start singing?" he jabbed jokingly, hoping to lighten the depressing mood. "Because I really like that new verse you put into that song. _Up here in the cold thin air, I can finally breathe-_"

"Please, Hiccup." She cut off playfully, trying to sound as civil as possible when they both knew that his vocals was just plain-awful.

"Okay, so I'm not the best singer around. We can agree that you're better at singing, diplomacy and using awesome magical ice-powers whilst I'm better training dragons, engineering and running amok-"

Elsa kissed him. It was a light peck; sweet & innocent and lasted only for a instant, but it was enough.

"Now about the ice-" She had started only to be interrupted by Hiccup smashing his mouth against hers.

Oh Odin, he had wanted to be gentle. She was not like Astrid; her wrists were thin and she bruised easily. He couldn't help it. Her kiss had set him on fire and he needed her to cool him down, as confusing it may seem.

"Forget about the ice." He muttered, pulling her into another kiss. His fingers in the meantime were busy ruining her lovely braid, it took a while but finally _(FINALLY!) _he managed to make it come loose.

"Hiccup..." She sounded hesistant, which wasn't surprising. She was still new to all of this, even six months into this marriage. They had only made love a handful of times and Elsa was reluctant to initiate anything for fear of accidentally hurting her husband. Hiccup didn't mind though, he was a patient man and he respected her wishes.

Unfortunately, it didn't make things any easier to explain to the council.

_"Son, I understand you're afraid of the same thing happening to Elsa." _His mother told him a few days ago. _"But you need a heir preserve the Hooligan bloodline. Otherwise, should you perish... Snoutlout will be next in line."_

The problem was that they didn't _understand._ Yes, he was afraid of losing Elsa but that wasn't what was stopping them from starting a family.

No, Elsa herself was what was stopping them.

Whether she was concious or not of it, something would always seem to happen before either of them could reach their climax. Last time the window shattered above them due to the extreme temperature drop and left Hiccup sporting a pretty impressive cut on his shoulder blade, the time before that her body had turned so unbearably cold that Hiccup could've sworn that her hair was starting to turn white.

She was still afraid, as painful as it was to admit it. She was still afraid of her abilities. She was still afraid to open up to him.

She was still too afraid to forgive herself...

"It's okay," he whispered against her lips. "We'll take it slow tonight."

Elsa pulled back and he wondered if he pushed her too far.

"Hiccup... we- we can't." She said shakily, wrapping her arms around her torso, a trait of hers whenever she felt vulnerable. Her back hit the wall as she tried to keep as much physical distance between herself and Hiccup. "I don't want to hurt you."

Hiccup felt his heart break and times like this he wished he could've met her parents so he could congratulate them on successfully screwing up their daughter's physche. Granted, his father might have not always been the best role model growing up and often left Hiccup feeling worthless, but never had the former Chief made his son ever feel like he had to shut himself away from the world just because of his mistakes.

"It's okay." He said, reaching out to cup her cheek, carefully, slowly, as if approaching a frightened creature. He's lost count of how many times he's said those words to Elsa, but the young Chief would continue to do so until she knew she didn't have to feel afraid anymore. "I know you won't. You would never hurt me or anyone - you're a good person, a kind person."

Her eyes filled with tears and he couldn't help from smiling, although he could feel his own eyes beginning to water. "You have the biggest and warmest heart I've ever encountered, and I know you would rather be hurt than see anyone else suffer. You put the needs of the many before yourself, even after all you've endured."

She looked so beautiful in the moonlight with the way it highlighted her wild hair and illuminated her fair skin, and Hiccup desparately wished he had a sketchpad and some charcoal in his hands, so he could capture the image forever. He would just have to settle for memories instead.

"And that's why I love you."

It hadn't been an easy decision for either one of them to marry (well, re-marry in Hiccup's case) - with her, still plagued by her fears & insecurities while he was still haunted by his own inner demons. But for the Dragon tamer, it was one of the best he's ever made. She fixed him in ways he could've never have imagined and for that, she would always have his gratitude and undying devotion.

Elsa was stunned at his proclaimination and he wished she didn't look with such blatant disbelief; as if she couldn't imagine anyone ever possibly loving her.

_"I'm a monster, Hiccup." _She had once told him, shortly after he met her. _"You'd be best to stay away from me."_

Of course, being use to dangerous beings on a daily basis, the dragon tamer had choosen to ignore her warning and proceeded to visit her in that cold, icy cave he had stumbled into during a raging blizzard.

_"Please, just stay away! I just want to protect you!"_

She was not a monster and he wasn't afraid of her.

"I love you." He repeated, hoping she would understand. He trusted her with every fibre of his being - as much as he trusted Toothless and Astrid - and there wasn't a single doubt in his mind that she would hurt him.

The former Queen seemed to be at war with herself and something in him knew that this would be one of their most defining moments. It was make or break - would she leave the bed to get Toothless and pretend nothing had happened, or would she stay and let him love her?

The answer came a moment later when she pressed her lips against his and he couldn't remove the grin from his face.

_"Love will thaw..."_ He was told once by a wise soul and he could hardly wait for the day when Elsa's icy walls would finally melt. Five, ten, twenty, fifty years from now - it doesn't matter. One day she will let her heart thaw and they'll be free to love one another.

After all...

_"Some people are worth melting for."_

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><p><strong><em>Author's note:<em>**

_So here ends the first chapter of "Thaw slowly." What did everyone think? Liked it? Hated it? Be honest. I was a little reluctant to post this one up because I'm not fond of crossovers but I've become addicted to Hiccelsa and why not? Hiccup's HOT and Elsa's gorgeous! I'd they'd balance each other out quite well. Please review, it would really mean a lot to me and I should have the next chapter out soon._

_Thanks, Water-Star._


	2. Bring your mind to everlasting liberty

_As you glide in your stride_  
><em> With the wind as you fly away<em>  
><em> Give a smile from your lips and say<em>  
><em> I'm free, yes I'm free, now I'm on my way<em>

_ Come to see victory_  
><em> In a land called fantasy<em>  
><em> Loving life for you and me<em>  
><em> To behold, to your soul is ecstasy<em>

_ You will find other kind_  
><em> That has been in search of you<em>  
><em> Many lives has brought you to<em>  
><em> Recognize, it's your life now in review <em>

- Earth, Wind & Fire

* * *

><p>Today was officially the second year of Astrid's passing and Hiccup couldn't handle it anymore.<p>

It was bad enough when his Father had died; a lot awkwardness, a lot of condolences made to him, a lot of tributes made, but it in the end the villagers had understood (after all, that is the life of a Viking - an occupational hazard), accepted Stoick's fate in quiet mourning and all moved on relatively quickly.

However, Astrid's death was a tragedy and continued to linger on.

_"Oh how awful!" _He would sometimes hear some of the older women say amongst themselves, completely unaware that their Chief was listening. _"Such a young thing too! Not even the baby survived. What a cruel thing to happen to Chief Hiccup!"_

He knew that the villagers were still shaken by the news and still grieving for their Shield Maiden, but it was so hard _(so, so unbelievably hard) _not to lash out whenever he heard them talk about his wife and child in past tense. It was even harder when he would have to go to the training arena and see the gang. For the Chief, it was a painful reminder of how much everything that has changed between them.

Snoutlout didn't boast as much, he lost that inflated ego that always managed to amuse & annoy the young Chief growing up. In fact, Snoutlout hardly talked at all - at least to him anyway - almost as if he didn't know _how_ to talk to his cousin anymore.

Tuffnut was tougher - best way to put it. His words, although still foolish, were a lot sharper and fewer whilst his sister, Ruffnut, was a lot more tactful and hardly bothered to retort to her brother's stupidity. Instead, she would simply whack him on the head & give him a scathing look.

Fishlegs was the only one who could still hold a conversation, although it would be rushed and uncomfortable; as if he were afraid to offend the Chief.

Even Toothless, his best friend who's been with him through thick-and-thin was somewhat estranged. However, Hiccup couldn't fault the dragon for doing so - he was still riddled with guilt for Stoick's death and it left the Viking wishing he could've handled it all differently.

_I wish I hadn't been so foolish to think Draggo could've been reason with. _He thought countless times. _Or that I lashed out at Toothless when dad died. He didn't deserve the brunt of my anger._

Throwing some provisions into his knapsack, Hiccup went through a mental list of any other items he might need during his journey. He had already packed his camping equipment on Toothless' saddle and wearing his riding gear; eager to feel the wind on his face again. He hadn't had much time to fly since his coronation and he knew Toothless would be going out of his mind from boredom. Fortunately, Astrid was always there to -

_Was, Hiccup, was... _His mind reminded him. _You'd be best to remember that._

He wouldn't cry today. He couldn't. Not anymore. He's shed so many this past few years, for his Father, for Astrid, for his mistakes and shortcomings - so many, it wasn't even possible anymore.

"Hiccup...?" he heard Mother call out from beneath the floorboards. It felt weird to be back in his old room especially after he moved out to live with Astrid. However, on the day she died, Hiccup burnt their entire house to the ground.

Listening to the creaking of the stairs, Hiccup waited for her to approach. He braced himself; no doubt she would disapprove of his plan.

"Going somewhere?"

"Yeah..." he answered simply, not wanting to go into details. The young Chief had been hoping to pack all his stuff and go before anyone caught him red-handed, but he knew how childish that was.

"How long?" she asked gently.

"A few days. A week at most..." He answered stiffly, still not bothering to look at her. Too afraid to see the disappointment in her eyes. Too afraid to start another fight. "I know what you want to say; _"You've got a entire village to run!"_ and that I'm being selfish leaving without bothering to write a note and that dad wouldn't approve-"

"You should go."

"What?" Turning around, Hiccup stared at his mother with a stunned expression.

"I understand."

Of course, she did. She knew exactly what it was like to lose a partner. How could he have not considered that?

"You've been working around the clock and it would do some good for you." Valka continued not at all phased by her son's stupefied look. "Besides, Gobber and I both know how to run the village, so it'll be fine. Take as long as you need."

"Thanks, mum." He breathed out, relieved. "You don't know how much I appreciate this..."

And he sincerely meant that.

Valka gave a warm smile in kind, the type which he had longed for as a young boy who would watch the other children be comforted by their mothers, and Hiccup felt the familiar sting in his eyes.

Guess, he was wrong. Guess, there were still a few tears left in him.

* * *

><p>Freedom and wind. They were the two things that seemed to matter in those few hours as they flew through the sky. He gave a cheer whilst Toothless shot a fireball, just as ecstatic to be back in the air. Where they were going, it didn't matter - for the young Chief, he just grateful to finally have some control.<p>

After Stoick's passing, Hiccup's life has been nothing but tight schedules and duties to follow - he barely had five minutes to himself before he would be approached by someone seeking his counsel. Although, he had been aware of this would be role he would one day fulfill, he had never expected the workload - he could only wonder how his father achieved it and managed to raise a child all on his own.

Even though Hiccup was enjoying the flight, something was amiss and he knew just what would do the trick. Unfortunately, he also knew that Toothless would not approve.

"So what do you say, Bud? Shall we try some gliding?"

The dragon's response was a low growl, clearly not at all fond of his friend's idea.

"Oh come on, it won't be _that_ bad!" the Chief said, hoping to reassure the Night Fury.

Toothless warbled in protest.

"Yes, it's been a while since we've done anything thing of the sort." Hiccup agreed, understanding his dragon's apprehension. "But it'll be fine. A bit of practice and it'll be just like we never stopped."

The black dragon huffed, accepting defeat.

"It'll be fine, I promise."

Closing his eyes, Hiccup straightened his shoulders out, bracing himself both mentally and physically for what was to come. Although they had gotten a lot better with gliding, there was a part of him that was reluctant to continue. Which was funny; a few years ago he would've done so without a second thought or concern for his safety, but now that he was Chief and with no heir - Hiccup knew he couldn't be so reckless.

"Here we go."

As he allowed himself to slide off the saddle and fall through the sky, Hiccup let out a cry as adrenaline coarse through his veins and the wind billowed around him. No matter how many times he had done it thus far, it never ceased to feel amazing.

There's nothing like being on the brink of death to make you realise just how alive you are.

Toothless followed closely behind, he too enjoying the sensation of free-falling, despite his earlier hesitation.

The dragon rider relished the feeling for a few more seconds before finally releasing the parachute, being projected back to the sky and a moment later, he was gliding freely through the clouds.

Hiccup's heart felt lighter and for the first time in forever, he felt joy.

* * *

><p>Another day coming to an end. Good.<p>

Elsa didn't know how many more she would have to endure, but she didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore.

Anna _(oh sweet, lovely Anna) _was dead now and it was all her fault.

She's lost count of how many days since she left Arendelle - she wanted to carve into her skin as a painful reminder of the sins she committed, but her magic wouldn't allow her.

It wasn't fair, she wanted to die _(oh Lord, how she yearned to die!)_ and yet, death continued to elude her. She wondered if it was God's punishment for all the pain she had indirectly inflicted onto her sister when they were younger and for the suffering she had bestowed onto her kingdom.

What she did know was that time did_ not _heal all wounds and that Elsa was all alone.

_Oh Lord... _She prayed, closing her eyes and blocking her sight of the sunset. There was another good hour or so before the sun would vanish completely and the former Queen would be forced to endure another lonely night. _Please forgive me for my immorality. I can only hope you will bring an end to my wretched existence so I can be reunited with Anna and our parents. Please, I beg of you!_

She couldn't even remember the last time she ate anything decent. A handful of berries, she found during her last expedition outside the cave, but other than that, nothing else. She didn't know how to make a fire and she couldn't bring herself to hunt down some poor furry creature. So many have already suffered because of her cursed powers, she refused to let another soul suffer for her selfish needs.

So if she would die through starvation then so be it, because she sure as hell wouldn't be from frostbite.

"The cold never bothered me anyway." Elsa said bitterly, almost wanting to laugh at the irony. At one point she had sung those words joyfully, when she was alone and she thought she was free to be the person she wanted to be without having to suffer the consequences.

How foolish of her.

With a wave of her hand, the icy doors to her cave slammed shut and she listened to the soft sound of snow falling to the ground, completely covering the entrance.

She had been more cautious this time. Instead of some grand castle of ice on the top of a mountain, which would clearly attract the attention of curious bystanders, she resorted to making a cave in the middle of a mountain. Where? She had no idea, just that it was far, far away from Arendelle and any of its neighbouring countries - so far, she crossed the ocean and kept walking until she collapsed here - no longer able to keep moving, weighed down by the burden of her awful powers, unable to bear her grief anymore.

She had decided to live on the gigantic mountain, knowing it would be difficult for anyone to climb the summit and had even managed to darken the ice of her new home to blackish hue to blend in with the rest of the snow covered mountain - completely disguising the hideout, whilst below laid a beautiful lake surrounded by lush woods. At least it _had _been, once...

Unfortunately due to her lack of control over her powers, the area was now completely encased with ice & snow. At first, Elsa had worried that it might attract the attention of any nearby villages and she would face an army of fire & pitchforks, however, given she had not heard anything other than her own breathing for these past few months, it was safe to assume that she was living in uncharted territory. This was fine for her.

_"I belong here. Alone… Where I can be who I am without hurting anybody."_

No one would find her this time. She would see to that.

* * *

><p>In hindsight, perhaps gliding in an unknown location where he had no bearings or any knowledge of landmarks during a sunset hadn't been such a good idea - the Chief realised whilst brushing the powdery snow off his rider's suit.<p>

_Let's see, _he thought, doing a mental checklist of his person. _No broken bones, no missing teeth, and one incredibly irritated reptile - yep, everything's right with the world._

"Well, that was a close one! Good thing, that forest was there to break our fall!" he said to his companion, although he knew doing so would only irritate the Night Fury even further. Noticing Toothless' deadpanned expression, he added, "Oh come on! That mountain came out of nowhere!"

The dragon huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Alright, perhaps after my near death experiences of the same manner would've taught me a thing or two about having some foresight. Yes, I'm sorry that I've been relying on you as a perpetual cushion to break my fall and yes, I won't do it again. There, you satisfied?"

One tail sweep and a snow covered Hiccup told him no, he was not satisfied.

"Thanks a lot, you useless lizard." He muttered, once again brushing snow off his suit, whilst Toothless warbled unapologetic - clearly amused at his friend's annoyance. "Oh yeah, how about trying this on for size!"

The Chief had been way too optimistic in thinking he was strong enough to tackle a fully grown dragon, even one as small as Toothless, but it had been fun nevertheless as they wrestled and played theatrics. Funnily enough, it reminded him of the day he was told of his fate.

_"What you're searching for isn't out there, Hiccup." Astrid spoke calmly, braiding his hair, before placing a hand over his chest with a warm smile. "It's in here. Maybe you just don't see it yet."_

He was so young back then and still so uncertain about the path he needed to take, and yet, Astrid rode in, walked right up to him and pointed out the obvious. Astrid had always believed in him ever since she met Toothless, always offering words of support when he lost all hope, a moral compass to steer him in the right direction when he didn't know where to go - oh Gods, Astrid...

_Why did it have to be her? _

They had only been married for such a short period of time and yet, she was taken when they were about to embark on their greatest journey. It wasn't fair. She shouldn't of died just for birthing their child. If he could, he would gladly swap his life so that Astrid would live, but sadly it wasn't possible and he knew even if he could, his wife would never forgive him for making such a selfish decision. The Shield Maiden had always believed duty should be put before the needs of your own.

After all, a Chief protects his own, and not much good would come from his demise.

_Especially if Snoutlout had to take reign. _Hiccup thought, suppressing a shudder. _Oh yeah, can definitely see it now: Berk in a state of perpetual war with the rest of the world whilst tarnishing the good name of dragons. _

No definitely not a good thing.

Still he missed her with every fiber of his being and knew without a doubt he would never love another woman again. Hiccup had already decided he would not remarry - much to his mother's and the Elders' despair - but he could care less.

He vowed to never love again, or may Thor strike him down… again.

_No definitely do not want **that **to happen again! _He mused, remembering the last time he was struck by lightning. Definitely not a very pleasant experience, he was just lucky he recovered so quickly - or that Valka wasn't there to see it, or no doubt she would've wrangle him for his carelessness.

Despite her laid-back approach to mothering at the beginning, the former dragon vigilante had become wearier over time to Hiccup's antics and would often scold her son for doing anything she may deem as reckless. It was frustrating and the young Chief could only point it to Stoick's passing and Valka being afraid to lose the last thing which connected them together as husband & wife. Unfortunately it didn't make things any easier and they had faced countless arguments as a result.

_I just don't know how to talk to her..._

Just then Toothless crooned sadly, before nuzzling his head against Hiccup's chest. The Night Fury had always been good at picking up on his rider's feelings and offer emotional support; Hiccup could only begin to wonder how he was lucky enough to have a dragon as compassionate as Toothless and not be fed up with his constant mood-swings.

"Sorry Bud. You could tell?" he apologised as he sat himself up whilst Toothless pulled back and sat before him like an attentive dog. Running a hand through his hair, he admitted, "A million things are running through my mind and yet none of which will benefit me in the near future... I just... I just don't know what to do anymore. The other day, the Elders called me in for a council session and suggested an arranged marriage. Can you believe that? Astrid's hardly been gone two years and yet, I'm expected to move on."

The black dragon crooned again, his bright green eyes conveying sadness and understanding. Of course, he would understand - having lost a dear friend as well. Two, in fact...

Stormfly died shortly after Astrid's passing, refusing to eat despite the coaxing of all the riders. Sadly, the Nadder lost all its will to live and drew its last breath exactly two weeks after her owner. It hit Hiccup even harder than Astrid's death, as both a dragon tamer and a grieving husband.

"I'm sorry, Bud." He said again. "This was supposed to be a fun trip and here I am bringing it down. Come on, let's explore this place. I wanna get to the base of that mountain we almost crashed into and set up camp there."

The Night Fury said nothing in response and simply followed.

It was strange, Hiccup thought, as he observed the land and its surroundings. All of it was covered in a thick layer of snow, which was odd considering it was spring now and the land should be technically be thawing somewhat. Even though this was the first time he was visiting this land and he had no bearings of it flora & fauna, the Chief had spent many years travelling the other islands surrounding and knew from experience that the weather was fairly similar to the type he's endured in Berk.

_There's hardly a sound. _He noted after an hour, shivering a little despite himself. _I expected to at least find some animal tracks and yet, there's nothing... what gives?_

Even Toothless seemed to notice the bizarre ambiance of this forest. He was walking with such precaution, his ears slicked, and his head flicking from side-to-side; as if expecting something to pop out at any moment.

All of a sudden he growled and bolted forward, rushing past Hiccup.

The Viking felt his heart pick up a pace. "Toothless...? What's up, Bud? What's wrong?"

Of course, the Night Fury was too far gone, leaving Hiccup with no choice to run after him. Which proved to be rather difficult considering the snow was almost knee-deep, he only had one foot and he was chasing after one of the fastest dragons on record.

"Wait up!"

Still, he persisted - worried for his friend. The Whispering Death flashed through his mind and just the thought made him push himself even further. Their friendship had strengthened immensely over the years - there could not be one without the other - and they had learned that trust, communication & respect were the most vital things. However, the idea of Toothless abandoning him again so he could try to fight alone, frightened Hiccup.

"Toothless!" he called out, even though he was running out of breath. Still no reply from his companion.

A few minutes later and the Viking could finally see the exit approaching them. He used the remainder of his energy, pushed through the pain, ignored the dizziness threatening to consume him and finally he was out.

Hiccup fell to his knees, landing on the soft snow and focused on regaining his breathing; relieved that they were now out of the forest and that he had managed to catch up with his friend.

_Inhale, exhale. _He prompted himself, eyes squeezed tight. _Keep breathing, that's the key. _

"Oh man, Bud." He wheezed out. "You shouldn't run off like that. You know how I worried I get!"

Toothless did not respond, much to the rider's annoyance, prompting Hiccup to raise his head and finally becoming aware of his surroundings. He lost his breath again.

"Wow..."

It was astonishing, though it difficult to describe it. Where they were was at the edge of a lake, the left side surrounded by the dense forest, whilst the right side went on for as far as the eye could see. It seemed to go on for miles and Hiccup briefly wondered where it would lead to and if it connected to any of the rivers or waterfalls he had seen previously. Across the lake, a few hundred feet before them stood the mountain which Hiccup had been eager to reach. It was even bigger than he imagined and he noticed, much to his astonishment, was encased with giant spikes of ice. They weren't random, he realised as he leaned forward trying to get a closer look; they were in a flowing formation, as if they were streams suddenly frozen solid by the late Bewilderbeast.

_How is that even possible? _He wondered in awe. _Is it the work of an ice dragon?_

His musings were suddenly disrupted by Toothless' growls.

"Woah! Woah, Toothless! Calm down!" Rushing to the Night Fury's side, he wrapped his arms around his friend's chest and neck, hoping to calm him. Still, the dragon did not calm and instead bared his teeth and his pupils narrowed to slits, ready to charge and Hiccup for the life of him, couldn't understand. Looking back to the mountain, the Chief tried searching for anything that might seem abnormal.

_Doesn't look like anything out of the ordinary, unless you ignore the crazy ice sculptures._ He thought sarcastically.

Although he wanted nothing more than to explore the bizarre mountain and search for the cause of Toothless' distress, Hiccup knew if he did so, then Night Fury without a doubt would go berserk. Besides, if there was anything he had learned after the whole Typhoomerang incident it was to NEVER ignore your dragon's instincts. Communication is the vital between dragons & their riders and it's important to accept that they have better intuition than you.

"I think we should camp here."

Toothless snapped his over to Hiccup's direction, his green eyes reflecting his confusion & concern.

"I know, Bud." He said, reading his friend's thoughts. "You're right. Something's not right with this place, but we've riding all day and we're both exhausted."

The dragon crooned in protest.

"No, out of the question. You need to rest before we fly again. We'll have an early night and leave by sunrise."

Toothless cooed softly, accepting his stubborn friend's decision.

"It'll be fine," the Viking said reassuringly, even though he couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling. "Help me set up."

Fortunately, setting up camp had been fairly easy with the Night Fury burning the ground underneath them whilst Hiccup pulled out one of his new inventions from one of the knapsacks tied to Toothless' saddle. It was a device made of lightweight fabric and metal poles which could form a temporary house. He wasn't sure what to call the unusual contraption but_ "Tent" _sounded like a good one. From the same bag, he also pulled out a pillow & a blanket this time and laid them inside the tent. Usually the cold didn't bother him whenever he went camping and would instead solely rely on Toothless' body temperature for warmth, however, with how unusual this place seemed, Hiccup had a feeling he would be needing it.

Next was dinner which proved to be rather tricky since the only source of food and water was encased with an absurdly thick layer of ice. Still, one fire blast later they were able to salvage some drinking water, but no fish. Fortunately, Hiccup had enough foresight to pack some provisions in case of such a situation. It wasn't much but it filled their stomachs and would last them for the next few days.

Finally, it was bedtime and neither could wait to lay down & get some shut eye.

"Try not to snore tonight, okay Bud? Some of us need our beauty sleep." Hiccup said in good humour as he pulled the blanket over his body, now clad in a simple tunic & soft pants.

Toothless simply snorted, perfectly content on his burnt patch of earth.

"Goodnight."

That night, Hiccup fell into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

><p>Elsa was not so fortunate that night...<p>

* * *

><p><em>AN: And that's the end of Chapter 1! So what did everyone think? I tried not to rush the beginning of chapter but because I was so eager to get Hiccup on the road, I think that's what I pretty much did... Then again, how much detail can one go into for one day before it feels too long? Meh, it doesn't matter.<br>_

_Anyway, onto the more important stuff: like my reviews. OMG 11?! That's probably the most I've ever received for one chapter so a huge THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed! You're all so kind & supportive and it makes me want to do the best I can. _

_Also another huge THANK YOU to TheWritingFactory for proof-reading this chapter and giving me feedback & a couple of ideas which I used in this chapter. Thanks man, it really helped me. A LOT!**  
><strong>_

_Please review, it's so addictive! Until next time._


	3. How long will you hide your face?

_I watch the city burn_

_These dreams like ashes float away_

_Your voice I never heard _

_Only silence_

_Where were you when our hearts were bleeding?_

_Where were you? It all crashed down_

_Never thought you'd deceive me_

_Where are you now?_

_How long can you stand the pain?_

_How long will you hide your face?_

_How long will you be afraid?_

_Are you afraid?_

_How long will you play this game?_

_Will you fight or will you walk away?_

_How long will you let it burn?_

_Let it burn? Let it burn?_

- Red

* * *

><p><em>White. <em>

_Everything was white as far as the eye could see and Elsa couldn't stand it._

_**No... no... this can't be happening! **__She thought, staring at Arendelle in horror. _

_Some way or another, by some sheer luck she had managed to steer clear of the Royal Guards & the Duke's henchmen, cross the fijord and navigate to a high altitude to assess the seriousness of the situation and she felt sick._

_Her beloved kingdom now covered in ice & snow. Ships frozen in water, unable to move. Nobody could get in or out and it led Elsa to a horrible realisation - people will die. Her kingdom will run of out supplies, her people will die from the cold or starvation and many nations will be left without their leaders or ambassadors & possibly lead to an all-out war._

_Elsa had screwed up. Big time. Not even Queen for a week and she had single-handedly managed to bring her kingdom to ruins. Anything hope she ever had to be a fair & just ruler like her father - gone. Floating away like the snowflakes falling around her._

_The world will suffer for her mistakes, and yet, that did not even bother her in the slightest compared to the worst realisation of all..._

_**Anna is dead. Dead. **_

_She just wanted to conjure a ice-shard & shove it through her chest. Anything to ease the searing pain burning through her chest. _

_**You killed her. You killed Anna.**_

_More tears welled in her eyes & streamed down her cheeks and she wondered if they would ever go away._

_**No, they never will. Because you killed her. Anna, your precious baby sister who had wanted nothing more than for you to build a snowman with her. You ignored her, you denied her the chance to be happy and then you froze her heart... **_

_"I'm sorry, Anna." She croaked out, closing her eyes as grief overwhelmed her. "I'm so sorry..."_

_**You're nothing but a monster.**_

* * *

><p>Elsa awoke with a gasp. Her body trembling, covered in sweat, frost &amp; tears. Realising she had dreamt of the past again, she let out a sob. Oh Lord, how much longer must she endure this awful existence. Why wouldn't he just put her out of her misery? Couldn't he see the chaos she was causing? The lives she ruined? Why would he continue to let her live when she's nothing but a nuisance to all those around her?<p>

_The answer's simple. _Her mind answered, the same cold voice that always liked to show when she was at her weakest. _It's because God does not exist. God is meant to be a perfect being - a divine being... He never would've created an abomination like you._

How true. How painfully, painfully true.

God did not heed to her prayers for help to her control her powers, or to let her be a normal human girl or even to protect her parents when they went on their voyage.

God did not exist. Simple.

_Then that means I'm truly all alone. _She thought, her chest aching at the realisation. _But in the end, isn't that what I had always wanted?_

Yes... and no. She had always wanted to be herself without the fear of persecution or being branded as a witch and if that meant she had to live in isolation then so be it. However, growing up and seeing the constant fear & disappointment in her parents eyes made her _crave _to a better daughter, someone they could be proud of. She tried, she truly did. Not only for the sake of herself & her parents, but Anna too. Oh how she yearned to play with her sister and go back to how they were before the accident.

_"Do you wanna build a snowman?"_

Of course, she wanted to build a snowman - it's just Father would never have allowed it.

Rising from the comfort of her bed; a structure made of ice and covered in soft snow for cushioning, Elsa ran a hand over her braid and noted how pale it looked. It used to be platinum blonde and yet these past few months, she had noticed it was becoming lighter & lighter.

_At this rate, my hair's going to turn white. Not that it matters. _She thought with a frown, before looking down to her bare feet. They were now covered in cuts and scars after she had discarded her shoes somewhere along the journey to here and even her beautiful blue dress she had conjured so wonderfully & wore so proudly, reflected her heart and now was as black as the night sky - it didn't sparkle, nor did it shimmer.

She had no right to feel beautiful.

Getting up from her bed, the Snow Queen decided that there was no way in Hell she was going back to sleep and instead, made her way to the entrance of the cave. Willing the doors open, Elsa stepped outside, opened her arms and embraced the cold chill. Relishing it, hating it - she couldn't decide - but she knew was better than being inside and being overwhelmed by her emotions.

_"Up here in the cold thin air, I finally can breathe..." _She sung softly with eyes closed. _"I know I left a live behind, but I'm too relieved to grieve..."_

Opening her eyes again, the young woman took in the sight of the full moon, enjoying the way it glowed and highlighted the entire land; from the trees, to the lake, to the - wait...

_What is that? _She wondered, her heart skipping a beat, leaning closer. By the edge of the lake seemed to be some sort of foreign object in the form of a dark cube. _What on earth is that?_

It definitely wasn't there this afternoon when she had been watching the sunset, so when...?

_Had it been there this whole time and I had never noticed?_

No, definitely not. Upon closer inspection she had noticed the edge of the lake was somewhat melted.

"No, calm down." She whispered to herself, wrapping her arms around her torso. "It's probably nothing."

But there was no way of knowing unless she went down to investigate and just the thought made her nervous.

_Even if it is something, _she thought in a meager attempt trying to reassure herself. _You know this land like the back of your hand and if it is something you can cover your tracks so it won't be able to follow you and if it finds you, create a blizzard. And if all else fails, you can fight..._

The idea of using her powers again for battle was nauseating and Elsa could only hope it wouldn't come to it.

* * *

><p>It was incredibly easy to get down to the left side lake with one ice slide &amp; a giant pile of snow to cover it up, Elsa was on the ground in a matter of minutes. Wondering through the forest, she noticed with much sadness how quiet it was.<p>

_Not a single animal in sight, _she noted regretfully. _Are they all in hibernation, or are they dead? _

More life suffering because of her... How much longer the world have to endure her wretched powers?

"Ouch!" Biting her lip as her foot stepped on something sharp, a branch most likely. Looking down, she noticed a few droplets of blood staining the pure white snow and she frowned. This would make it a bit more difficult to cover her tracks, but Elsa wasn't too concerned.

_No point dwelling in it now... _Her mind pointed out. _You've got more important tasks at hand._

Yes, she needed to find that bizarre object and decide whether it was a threat or not. She continued, walking along the edge of the forest, using the lake as her compass. It would've been easier to have simply walked across the frozen lake, however, it would've left her exposed to her target. This way, she could still get to her location and yet, keep a respectable distance.

Another ten minutes or so, she finally reached her destination and she help but look at it in wonder. Whatever it was, it was quite large and appeared to be made out of some sort of material & held up by _poles? _There also seemed to be some sort of entrance, she realised, noticing a small gap in between the material.

Curious, Elsa approached closer despite her intuition screaming at her to turn back and run. She ignored it, and was about to grab the material when all of a sudden she heard a deep growl. Pulling back, the young woman felt her heart beginning to pound and took several steps back. Then the material started shifting and the entire thing collapsed, a cry could be heard and whatever was in that device was very large & very dangerous.

Elsa bolted and didn't dare to look back. Much to her distress the creature had decided to follow and it was _fast_.

_**ROAR!**_

_Oh what a dreadful noise!_ She thought, clapping her hands over her ringing ears. It carried on & echoed through the lonely forest, shaking the woman to the core. The young woman kept running as far her body would allow her, through the forest, ducking & weaving and even managed to cut her leg against another broken branch, however, she did not let that deter her. Unfortunately, the creature seemed to be onto her idea and she could hear it rapidly approaching and she was _terrified_.

Despite her reluctance, she turned her head back, morbidly curious to see the creature which might be the very bringer of her death. And she was not disappointed. It was not a simple dog or wolf as she had previously anticipated... Oh no, it was much worse. Following her was a dragon_ (an actual real life dragon!)_ as black as the night sky and green eyes that glowed menacingly in the pale moonlight; eager to hunt her down, break her neck, impale her torso, gorge on her insides-

_Stopstopstop! Get it together. Control it!_

That's right. She might be human, but she still had the power of ice & snow. She might hate it, but it was all she had right at this moment. Gathering some courage, Elsa stopped dead in her tracks, turned around and willed an ice barrier as large as her magic would allow her in that one hazy-adrenaline moment. She watched it rise & solidify and she thought it would be enough, except she was proven wrong as she heard a whistling sound and watched the icy wall be illuminated before cracking & exploding into a thousand pieces.

Fortunately, her instincts kicked in and provided another ice barrier to protect her from the explosion, however, it did nothing to ease her ever growing fear. Already, she could feel snow drifting around her and she knew that there would be a storm.

She could only hope it be enough to conceal her.

It seemed to work she noticed as she turned around and kept running, because she could hear it roar again but it sounded more distant. Still, Elsa did not turn back and continued running until she returned to the icy slide, removed the snow and put all her energy into her hands to push herself against the ice, a trick she used to pull when she would ice-skate with Anna, until she finally got back up the mountain. She covered the slide again, hurried to her cave, flung the doors closed, threw herself into the corner of her home and curled into a small ball.

The walls of the cave started glowing a bright red and she could hear ice cracking & forming into sharp spikes all around her.

Oh Lord, she had never felt such fear before! Not at her Coronation, not when she discovered she had frozen Arendelle, not when she was ambushed, not even when she had escaped the prison. None of them compared to this awful feeling she felt right now.

A storm was brewing outside and she could only hope to God that creature would not find her.

* * *

><p>"Toothless, what the Hel, Bud?" Hiccup demanded even though the dragon was nowhere in sight, irritated beyond all belief. One minute he's peacefully sleeping, next minute, he's woken up to the Night Fury growling and bolting out of the tent like there was some sort of raid. Looking at the damage, he continued, "Awww great! The entire thing's ruined! You useless reptile."<p>

Okay, perhaps he should've been alarmed as to exactly why his friend acted so irrationally just now, however, the rider tended to get insanely cranky when he was tired. Sleep was a rare feat for him nowadays and he hated being disturbed from his slumber. How he could survive on such small dosages as teen was beyond him, but now he needed a good 10 hours before he could function.

He would need his mother to restitch the entire thing when he got back because it was no use at this current point.

_Looks like we'll be heading back earlier than expected, _he thought annoyed. _So much for taking as long as I need!_

Going back in, Hiccup threw on his rider armour again and started repacking his bags, grumbling the entire time. After he was done, he stepped outside again and started packing away the ruined tent, he had just finished adjusting them back onto the saddle when he heard Toothless approach. Turning back to his friend, he was about to ask the Night Fury as why he had rushed outside, when he felt a sudden chill and a powerful breeze surrounded them.

The dragon screeched and Hiccup's blood ran cold.

_Blizzard! _He realised, looking up to the sky. _Where on earth did it come from?_

Living on the Isle of Berk for twenty-three years, Hiccup had grown accustomed to devastating winters and merciless blizzards, however, ever since setting foot here, everything has been so bizarre. From the lack of life, to the lake and especially the waterfalls - they were frozen spikes for Odin's sake! Every breath he took, something weighed heavy on his soul. He couldn't exactly describe it; it wasn't dread, it wasn't fear and yet it was _something. _Whether it was good or not, Hiccup didn't feel inclined to find out.

"Toothless!" he exclaimed and his friend immediately understood. They had only just managed to adjust the saddle when the storm hit."Woah!" he cried as a cold gust hit them, grateful to be wearing his mask.

The Night Fury roared, clearly worried.

"Hang on, Buddy." He said after jumping on and adjusting his prosthetic leg. Patting the back of the dragon's neck and hoping to calm his friend, he said, "We'll be okay."

Toothless crooned, believing his words before crouching low and soaring into the air. That is, until they got hit by another powerful wave of wind and thrust into the heart of the storm. The Night Fury tried his best to fly up and escape the blizzard, but it proved to be hopeless and they were catapulted. Hiccup held tight, bracing himself against the rough ride and he could only wonder how his friend was faring. Toothless gave a pained screech and the Chief's eyes widened as he realised both to his horror & astonishment, the dragon's wings were becoming coated with ice.

_...What? How is that even possible?_

"NO!" the Chief cried as he felt them fall.

Hiccup had lost track of the amount of times he's fallen; he can remember the battle of Red Death, battle with Whispering Death, battle with Draggo - the list was endless. He should be used to all this now, and yet this was the first time he saw his life flash before his eyes, as horribly cliche` as it sounded.

He saw Toothless tangled & frightened waiting to be killed, bonding with Toothless, flying with Toothless, being accepted by his peers, flying with Astrid, being kissed by Astrid, Toothless protecting him from Nightmare, fighting with dad, being accepted by his peers for real this time, being accepted by his dad, fighting the Red Death, waking up and realising he had lost something important, being kissed by Astrid again, seeing the villagers accept him, all the adventures he had with his friends growing up, meeting his mother, losing his father, yelling at Toothless, reconciling with Toothless, defeating Draggo, Toothless becoming the Alpha, his Coronation, marrying Astrid, his first night with Astrid, Astrid telling him the wonderful news, Astrid's belly becoming swollen & putting up with her mood-swings, Astrid reassuring him that she'll be alright as he got pushed out of their room by the midwives...

He would die soon and yet, he didn't mind the idea.

_At least, I'll get to see Astrid again... _

Fate had other plans.

"WOAH!"

Instead of crash landing into the frozen lake & drowning to death, or breaking every bone in their bodies and bleeding to death; Hiccup & Toothless founding themselves by some great miracle, colliding against something solid before landing in a huge pile of snow.

"...Urgh..." The rider grimaced, rubbing his shoulder. It really ached and he could only hope it hadn't been dislocated, at least he was in his armour. Injuries could've been worse otherwise. Regardless, he was grateful that they were okay. "Toothless, you okay?"

The Night Fury warbled beneath him gently and it worried him. Hopping off the dragon, the Chief started scanning his friend for any visible injuries, but it was useless. Snow flurried around them and relying solely on the moonlight, he was lucky that he could even see Toothless at all.

"No good, Bud. I can barely see a thing! We need shelter."

Toothless cooed in agreement.

Hiccup turned around, trying to distinguish their location and if he didn't know any better, he would say they were now on the mountain.

_What am I going to do? _He wondered, neither of them were in any condition to resume flying and even though they had been in snowstorms before, Hiccup had always been able to make it out alive because of Toothless' wings would be used as a makeshift shelter, which looked slumped - as if they were now burdened by the weight if the storm. They would freeze to death at this rate.

Then out of nowhere, he heard something.

"Hey Bud, do you here that?"

Toothless' ears pricked up in response, trying to listen. It was to make out with the wind howling around them, but Hiccup could've sworn he heard... crying?

"Where's that coming from?" Even though he asked that, he knew it was coming from directly behind them. Turning around, Hiccup turned and realised what they had crashed appeared to be a set of doors made from ice.

_Ice doors...? _He wondered if he was imagining things. Touching it with his bare fingers, a gasp escaped his lips as they moved inwards and his suspicions were confirmed. _What on earth...? How is that - _

_"_Oh forget it!" He muttered to himself, probably sounding like some sort of madman. He had asked that exact question a million times tonight and he doubted he'd be getting an answer anytime soon. "Come on, Toothless. We're going in."

The dragon perked up before growling again.

"Oh come on, it's not like we have much of a choice!" he argued back. "Whatever may be in there is nothing compared to what we've been through."

Toothless seemed to think about this before finally he nodded.

Bracing himself for whatever may come, Hiccup knocked.

* * *

><p><em><strong>KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!<strong>_

Elsa looked up and she felt her heart still.

_Is that what I think it is? _

Turning her head towards the direction of the entrance, the young woman looked on stunned as for the first time in forever, the doors to her home were opened by someone other than her.

Elsa stood and took a step towards the entrance. She should've been terrified, but after months of isolation on a mountain far away from any sort of human contact, it seemed so surreal. No, there was more to it. After years of sitting behind a closed door and listening to retreating footsteps, it just seemed so bizarre someone was actually ignoring her silent treatment and proceeding regardless of her desire to be alone.

"Anna...?" She found herself asking, before cursing her foolishness.

_No, she'll never knock on your door again._

"Uh hello...?" A voice followed, breaking through her depressing musings. It definitely belonged to a male, even though it sounded somewhat muffled. She couldn't make out his appearance because it was so dark, despite the red glow emanating through the cave, but Elsa was able to catch the outline of the stranger. "I don't mean to intrude, especially so late at night, but my friend & I got caught in this blizzard. We were camping by the lake and then all of a sudden there comes this giant blizzard! I mean it just came out of nowhere! Our tent is ruined and we need a place to stay. Just for a few hours, of course! Just until the storm passes over. Please."

Camping? Tent? Suddenly it made sense to what that strange contraption was, as silly as it may seem. Given her sheltered existence, Elsa wasn't all too aware of the outside world's resources. Granted, she knew that her military needed shelter of some sort whenever stationed on foreign; it's just she never considered _what_ they used.

Even though his explanation sated her curiosity, it also, only raised further questions. The most important ones being: what was that creature in the shelter? Was it a guardian of some sort and where was it now?

_Not only that, how did this man & his friend even get up here? The storm had only started not too long ago and yet, they've managed to navigate their way across the frozen lake, climb the mountain and find this cave. Who are these people?_

Elsa bit her lip and said nothing in response. Hoping against all hope, that he would be put off by her silence and leave, even though it was her fault he was here in the first place.

_How can you be so selfish? These people are without any sort of shelter and stuck in this snowstorm because of you. They could die and yet you're more concerned about yourself? How many more people have to suffer because of you? Haven't you ruined enough lives already?_

"Hello...? Anyone in here?" the man asked, taking another step into the cave.

The wind howled louder. It was getting stronger and the young woman knew she had to do the right thing.

"Y-yes!" she stuttered, cringing at her awkward response.

_So much for good impressions..._

"Oh great! I was worried that no one lived here and I was intruding on a dragon's territory."

Dragon...? What on earth was this man talking about?

"N-no, it's just me..." Elsa replied nervously and she wondered what happened to the calm, confident Queen she used to be.

_It was all a rouse, a disguise to cover up all my fears & insecurities... The only time I truly felt like it for real, was that night on the North Mountain and I thought I could let it go. Look how well that turned out._

"Um sorry to be pushy, but is it okay to stay here? I don't wanna be rude, if you don't want to that's okay, Toothless & I will find another place. It's just for a few hours obviously - neither of us are in any condition travel, that's all. I mean, no pressure! I don't wanna guilt trip or anything! It's totally okay if you don't want us!"

He rambled quite a bit, like Anna used to do whenever she was nervous and Elsa couldn't bring herself to turn this man away.

"Yes, that's fine." She said, feeling a little more at ease. Taking another step closer, she added, "You & your friend are more than welcome to rest here."

"Oh wow, that's so great! Thank you so much!" he exclaimed and even though she was closer, Elsa still couldn't make his appearance. "I don't have a lot in the way of currency, but if there's anything I can do to repay you let me know!"

"It's fine. I don't need anything," she replied. "But thank you for the offer."

A snort was made & a warble followed and the strange man spoke. "Oh sorry, Bud! Yes, we can stay."

More noises could be heard and Elsa could feel her heart picking up again.

"You big baby!" the man teased, opening the door further to welcome in his companion. "Now, play nice."

_It couldn't be...!_

She watched with her very own eyes as the dragon she had just encountered enter her domain, and she could only watch in horror as it eyes went from wide & docile narrow into slits of a fierce predator.

A growl suddenly erupted from the dragon and it charged forward. Elsa let out a cry.

God did not exist, she decided at that moment, because the creature whom she had prayed to Him to protect her from, had found her and it was ready to finish her off.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: And that's the end of that Chapter. Dun, dun, dun! Again I would like to thank everyone whose reviewed thus far - you like me, really, really like me! So thank you, it makes it all worth it. Another thank you to TheWritingFactory for once again proof reading and giving me valuable feedback - and helping me make this chapter a bit more epic ;-)<br>_

_Now I'm sure I've sparked some controversy over Elsa's beliefs on God and I hope that no one has been offended. However, for Elsa at this point, whose endured so much and who has so little hope at this point, of course she would doubt God's existence._

_ForteEXEMaster brought up a good point about most Hiccelsa fanfics Astrid always seems to be killed off. I know, I know, I'm very guilty of this - however, I'd like to think that I was the first to do it in a very unique way. As horribly morbid as that sounds... Anyway, for me having Astrid alive would mean this story wouldn't exist at all. Hiccup loves her & Astrid vice-versa and I couldn't imagine them ever breaking up - it just doesn't seem plausible. Which is ironic considering Astrid doesn't even exist in the book series, but I'd rather not dwell on it all too much.  
><em>

_I hope everyone liked this chapter and the next one should be out soon (if it actually comes to an end...) but be warned there might be a few curse words. _

_Until next time everyone._


	4. I don't think I deserve it - selflessnes

_What would it take for things to be quiet?_

_Quiet like the snow?_

_I know this isn't much_

_But I know I could, I could be better _

_I don't think I deserve it - selflessness_

_Find your way into my heart_

_All stars could be brighter_

_All hearts could be warmer_

- The Devil wears Prada

* * *

><p>"Toothless? Hey what's wrong, Bud?"<p>

Hiccup immediately knew something was wrong the moment his friend stepped into the bizarre cave. Okay, maybe the fact that its walls were glowing a sinister red should've set alarm bells of in his head, but he's always had a terrible habit of being oblivious to the danger he had always thrown himself into.

The Torch incident is proof of that - here he thought he had found a harmless little dragon and foolishly decided to bring it back to his village when in fact, it was baby dragon and Mama Typhoomerang wasn't very impressed and would've destroyed the entire island just to find her offspring.

Heather was another fine example - he had been so quick to trust the dark-haired teen and she managed to get her hands on the Dragon book without rousing any suspicion _(with the exception of Astrid, of course...) _Then there was Melvin; Hiccup had been so gullible to believe the old man's act and his false apology.

_And look how well that turned out! _He thought chastising himself. _Alvin learned the secrets of dragon training. Astrid always did say that I was too quick to trust people. _

Even still, he shouldn't be reacting like this to someone he's only just met. Especially to someone who had been very kind to let two strangers into their home during the middle of the night!

"Toothless! Stop!" he muttered as he kept alongside to the winged reptile, feeling completely mortified.

He watched the black dragon growl menacingly towards their host, who surprisingly, was still concealed by shadow, despite the bright red glow emanating through the cave. His teeth poised & sharp whilst his eyes were dilated to the fearsome predator that has earned him the title of Alpha. The Chief should've been concerned for their welfare, after all, dragons were an excellent judge of character and if this was the type of reaction Toothless was having, Hiccup should be heeding his friend's warning and take their chances with the blizzard.

However, all the rider could think of at that moment was all the other times he had been embarrassed by his dragon's behaviour and he decided that this... _this _had to take the prize.

And that was saying a lot.

The Night Fury didn't listen to his order. Instead, he continued growling as he prowled towards the poor woman, who would no doubt at that moment be second guessing her generous offer. The storm outside raged on and Hiccup could feel the full force pelt against his back & he staggered a little. This seemed to push Toothless over the edge, because he roared and leap forward.

The woman gave a loud cry.

"TOOTHLESS NO!"

Then all of a sudden - completely out of nowhere - spikes appeared!

Toothless halted, barely missing them with an inch of his life, before lifting his tail & holding it in front of Hiccup, acting as a protective shield and started hissing vehemently at the dangerous barrier. The rider stood there stunned.

"...what?" he breathed out, stepping closer despite himself.

A gasp could be heard and he heard; "P-please! Just stay away!"

But he ignored the warning and continued forward, too focused on the strange sight. He should've been worried. _ Should've_ being the key word and yet, he wasn't. It all just seemed way, way too bizarre to be. They were hundreds & thousands of them, each looking deadlier than the other and he noticed that they were all pointing from out of the ground even though there had been no sign of them a minute ago. Not only that, but they were all angled in a crescent formation, as if protecting something...

An image of Eret's destroyed base flashed through his mind and he reached out his hand. He touched the side of one of the spikes and his suspicions were confirmed.

_Ice! _He thought pulling back his hand, completely amazed. _It's actually ice!_

"How is that even possible...?"

He could hear something creaking & groaning. Looking up, he saw the ceiling becoming darker in hue, cracks forming and then to his astonishment, spikes started blossoming and then suddenly it clicked.

"You can control ice?!" he exclaimed, amazed by the revelation. He didn't know how he knew - he just _knew_. He had never heard of such a thing before, but considering dragons existed, it couldn't be too much of a stretch to believe magic existed as well.

_That must be why Toothless attacked so vehemently - he must've been able to sense it! _ The Chief realised. _Still, being able to control an element that can't be controlled naturally... That's a powerful ability. Just who is this woman?_

"Please just go!" the woman exclaimed shakily and Hiccup snapped back to reality. "You _have_ to go!"

"W-wait, hold on!" Leaning over the spikes without getting pierced _(the perks of having armour made from discarded Night Fury scales)_, he tried to get a closer view of the mysterious maiden, who was still immersed in the shadows. He couldn't make out much due to the poor lighting, but she seemed huddled, clearly frightened. "Don't be afraid! I'm really, really, _really_ sorry about my dragon's behaviour. He tends to be way over protective when it comes to new people."

As if on cue, the dragon growled again.

"Toothless, cut it out!" he hissed, all too aware that his friend was not making the situation any better. Pointing to the entrance, he added, "Go on, over there."

The Night Fury snorted before turning and followed the rider's order. Once there, he opened his mouth and set fire to the ground much to his rider's annoyance, before he collapsed onto the ground. He continued to glower in the woman's direction, but thankfully said nothing further.

"Useless, volatile lizard..." He muttered, making a mental note to remind his friend on the importance of manners & being a good guest. Turning back, he apologised once again. "Ah, I'm sorry about that too. He does that all the time at home when he wants to rest. I can fix that, I think - although I guess I'd pretty useless if it's made out of ice. You'd probably be able to fix it without needing any of my help."

She said nothing in response and Hiccup knew he would need to keep talking _(without sounding like a complete fool) _to make things right. He _had_ to. It wasn't simply because they needed a place to stay - they've survived blizzards before, even though it's always been with other dragons nearby, however they survived nonetheless - but rather that he had always prided himself on being able to reconcile people with dragons and the idea of walking away after leaving such an awful impression tugged on his heartstrings. Hard.

He'd rather lose another foot than do that.

"I'm really sorry..." He said again calmer, clearer. "I know that he may seem really terrifying, but he won't hurt you. He's really quite harmless."

"Harmless? I think not!" She said, disbelief clearly evident in her voice. The rider noted with some interest, that the light of the cave was somewhat brighter - a more vivid red, as if reflecting anger or indignation. "That... that _thing _chased me down when I went down to the lake tonight and then shot fire at me! So don't tell me he's _harmless_!"

"Down at the lake...?" he asked surprised. Well that explained why he rushed out of the tent all of a sudden. The Night Fury must've caught her scent and thinking she was an intruder, retaliated.

_Wait, did she say "chase"...? And "fire"? Oh boy..._

"Oh no, he went after you?" Another wave of embarrassment flooded through him and he desperately wished the earth would split open & swallow him whole so he would no longer have to endure this humiliation. "Oh Gods, oh Gods - I'm so sorry! I know you must be sick of hearing that now-"

_Get to the point, Hiccup. No doubt, she's tired of your incessant rambling._

As Chief & Tamer, he needed to accept the responsibilities of his dragon and suffer the consequences as a result - he had accepted those conditions at fifteen and he would accept them now.

"I apologise for his behaviour." He spoke, this time with more clarity, behaving more like the Chief his people looked to. "I know that my words don't mean much compared to what you've endured tonight, but believe me when I say that he truly meant no harm..."

For hundreds of years people of the archipelago had considered them nothing more than wild vicious beasts who needed to be eliminated for the sake of survival. Tonight, this woman had been terrorised and been given every reason to fear the ancient creatures. If he left now, she would be forced to believe everything she might have ever heard to be true.

_"You have the heart of a Chief and a soul of a dragon. Only you can bring our worlds together."_

Valka told him that once and he knew it was true so he _had_ to make this right. He needed to show the world that dragons were good, kind creatures - it was his destiny, as silly as it may sound - and if he could convince the stubborn, tenacious people of Berk - then he could certainly convince this woman.

"Where we come from there are still people who believe that dragons are nothing more than mindless bloodthirsty creatures. Instead of trying to make peace with them, they insist that extermination is the only way. People are afraid of things they don't understand and hence, fear them. I know he hasn't left you with the best impression, but if you let me, I can show you that there's nothing to be afraid of."

He couldn't ignore the irony of it all. Here he was trying to convince a woman who could manipulate ice _(and make very sharp & pointy objects hazardous to one's state) _not to be afraid when he reality, perhaps he should be the one who's afraid.

"I-I don't think that's such a good idea." She finally replied, sounding very uneasy. "He doesn't look like he's all too interested in a reconciliation."

"Toothless will not attack as long as you're not a threat to me or him." He responded calmly, hoping to soothe the maiden's shot nerves. "I know it's a lot to ask, but you have to trust me." Holding out his hand, he added, "Please."

"How can you ask me to trust you when I don't even know you're name?" She asked uncertain. "Or haven't even seen your face?"

_My face...? _He wondered, before he remembered much to his embarrassment, that he was still wearing his rider's mask! No wonder why, she kept her distance. If some random person walked into your home during the middle night, had their pet dragon attack you whilst they wore some scary mask - you certainly wouldn't be so easy to trust said random person. Well, at least that can be remedied quickly.

"Oh jeez! Of course, how rude of me!" Pulling the helmet off his head, he ruffled his hair a little and hoped he looked presentable enough as he officially introduced himself. "My name is Hiccup. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third - Chief of Berk."

A silence followed, yet he wasn't bothered by it. Instead he waited patiently, knowing that the woman would eventually approach. Another moment passed when finally the maiden stepped out of the shadows of the cave and revealed herself.

Hiccup took sharp exhale and stared dumbstruck.

_She's gorgeous!_

He certainly hadn't expected that. Not to be rude or anything, he just thought she was a lot older. Her voice was soft and she was well spoken for a person of her age - so it was quite a surprise to see someone who looked like they were barely in adulthood. He had expected to see a woman in her thirties to mid-forties, who was well built & rugged like the women he's grown accustomed to in his life. And yet, here before him stood a fair young maiden in a slimming black dress & with big doe eyes.

"Wow..." He breathed out, before shaking any stupid thoughts buzzing in his head. Scratching the back of his head, he said awkwardly, "So uh, nice to meet you?"

The fair woman clutched her braid with both hands, wet her lips, took a deep breath and finally introduced herself.

"My name is Elsa." She spoke calmly. "Elsa of- just Elsa."

Hiccup's curiousity piqued and yet knew it was not his business to dwell.

"Elsa, huh? I never heard of it before - it's weird." Seeing her raise an eyebrow, he backtracked. "I didn't mean that your name's weird! I just meant that it's weird I've never actually heard that name before. It's a very pretty name! Much nicer compared to some of the other names I've heard across these lands. What's its origin?"

A look of panic flashed across her face and he quickly added; "I guess it really doesn't matter!"

She relaxed a little before she said in a tight voice, "No. It doesn't."

He couldn't help from noticing just how painfully sad she looked and he felt rotten for bringing up at all - which seemed so preposterous. Back at home a person would simply punch the person who offended them and would quickly move on, however, Elsa didn't seem like the type to react with violence. He had no doubt that she was not a Viking and he couldn't help from being interested.

A warble echoed through the cave and broke the uncomfortable silence between the two humans, something Hiccup found himself extremely grateful for.

_Thanks Bud, _he thought in gratitude as he turned his head to Toothless' direction. _But that still doesn't let you off the hook. _

As if reading his mind, the Night Fury let out a whine. He looked incredibly uneasy, clearly on edge about this whole situation as much as Elsa and Hiccup knew it was time to play peace-keeper.

"Alright you big baby, we're coming over." The tamer said, before directing his attention back to the young woman. "Just follow my lead, I promise you he won't hurt you. Now about the ice..." Looking down to the hazardous spikes separating them, he asked, "I don't suppose there's some sort of trick to put them back in place, like a lever perhaps?"

"No, there isn't. Do you mind turning around for a moment?" Elsa asked looking uncomfortable, so the Chief obeyed her request. He heard a soft swishing sound and could've sworn he felt the ground move somewhat, but kept quiet.

"You can turn back now."

He did so and finally got a good look at the mysterious maiden. She was taller than he originally thought; her head would reach almost up to his chin which was saying a lot considering he grew a few more inches after his coronation. Of course nowhere as impressive as his father's stature, but a lot better compared to the scrawny runt he use to be. However, he also noticed she seemed very skinny in a malnourished manner and briefly glancing down, she had a nasty looking cut running alongside her exposed calf.

_What on earth has this woman gone through? _

"Are you ready?" he asked as they approached the weary dragon.

"I suppose I don't really have much of a choice, now do I?" She responded, trying to keep her cool composure.

"It'll be fine, I promise."

However, Toothless didn't seem all too keen on a reconciliation as Elsa mentioned, and rose slightly; preparing himself to bolt, much to his rider's dismay. Hiccup tried to ignore the feeling and formally introduce the Night Fury.

"Elsa, this is Toothless. Alpha to the Berkian dragons and my best friend." Placing a comforting hand on the back of his dragon, he said, "Toothless, this is Elsa, the poor soul you decided to destroy our tent for and chase her down. Now, _be nice_."

The dragon looked on, distrust in his current cat-like eyes, but fortunately, didn't growl this time. Encouraged, he turned back to Elsa; "Now just stretch out your hand and let him touch it, without making any eye contact."

"...What? You must be joking!" She clearly looked put off by the idea, whilst Toothless growled lowly, offended by her reaction.

_Oh boy, this is going to be tougher than I thought. _Hiccup pondered, suppressing a sigh. This wasn't the first time he's had difficulty introducing people to dragons; children are easy, being open-minded and more carefree whilst the adults are more begrudging, having being accustomed to dragon raids their entire life and being forced to watch friends & loved ones being slaughtered in front of their eyes.

However, this was the first time he introduced a dragon to someone who could manipulate ice.

"It's the only way you can gain his trust," he replied. "Up until this point, Toothless has reacted on his instincts. He's in a land he doesn't know, a stranger approaches his territory whilst his defenceless friend is sleeping, a sudden a bizarre storm shows up and he stumbles upon the same person he encountered before. I'm not trying to be rude - all I'm trying to say is he's scared."

"Him? Scared?" she asked, obviously in disbelief. "I don't see why - he's a dragon. He's strong and fast. He's _powerful_."

_So are you and look at how terrified you are... _He wished to say out loud, however, he was worried he might offend her.

"It doesn't mean he can't get scared too."

Elsa looked stunned and remained silent, taking his words and digesting them carefully. Loosening the grip on her braid, she stretched out one trembling hand, bit her lip and screwed her eyes shut. Toothless was reluctant to respond, much to his rider's dismay and because of the response, Elsa lost all her courage and pulled back.

"No, I'm sorry. I just can't do it." She apologised and wrapped her arms around her torso, looking vulnerable & disheartened.

Hiccup sighed, disappointed but not the least bit surprised. These things take time and if there's too much fear or distrust on both sides, reconciliation would not be possible anytime soon.

"I understand." And he did. Didn't mean he liked it.

Just then an a gust of wind flew into the cave, reminding the rider that he left the entrance open.

"Oh damn!" he cursed, annoyed with himself for forgetting such a thing. So much for being a good guest tonight. "I'm sorry, I left the doors open! I'll close them up."

The doors were incredibly heavy with being made out of such thick ice and the wind blowing against them. Fortunately, Toothless noticed his companion's struggle, jumped over to the entrance, got on his hind legs and applied all his weight against one of the doors whilst Hiccup focused on the other; then after a few seconds the doors finally shut close.

"So what do we do now?" Elsa asked after a moment and a wave of awkwardness followed.

That was a good question. With this whole situation now somewhat under control, Hiccup was left pondering over his next move. He could hear the wind blowing hard, yet it was nowhere near as fierce as before. He had noticed that it was near to impossible to see anything past the flurrying snow. The blizzard might be calming, however, it would be careless to go outside now.

"Well there's nothing much to do, except sit & wait. Although you must be pretty exhausted, you'd probably want to go to bed right?"

Though even if Elsa went to bed, Hiccup would probably stay up and tend to his injuries. With all the excitement and adrenaline flowing through his veins, he had forgotten that he had collided against the doors outside - already his shoulder was beginning to ache and he could only hope it wasn't dislocated. Not to mention, he had to check Toothless and make sure he was capable of flying them back to Berk.

"No, I don't think I can after all this... _excitement_." She replied, carefully choosing her words. "But you're both more than welcome to slumber if you wish."

"No, I'm fine. I think I'd rather just stay up, although I have to admit, it's getting a bit cold. Is it possible to make a fire?"

For some reason, she looked embarrassed. "I don't have any of the tools and I don't actually know _how_ to."

"Are you serious?" He asked, looking at her in disbelief. Although he was accustomed to these temperatures, even he had to admit he was cold. How could this woman who was wearing such a thin looking dress with a slit to her knee & no shoes survive such climate? Still, he had seen a lot weirder things tonight and he knew it was better not to dwell on it too much. "It doesn't matter, I'm sure I could find something."

Walking over to Toothless, he started stripping the dragon of their knapsacks & saddle, much to the Night Fury's relief. Hiccup started rummaging through the knapsacks and pulled out a vile of flammable liquid; something he would use whenever had difficulty starting a camp fire. He also pulled out his sleeping blanket and heading over to the woman again, who was still standing in her spot.

"Here." He said offering the blanket. "It's not a lot, but you look like you need it more than I do."

Elsa looked at the object, clearly surprised by the man's generosity. "Why...?"

"We've really gotten off to a bad start and I feel like a real jerk for letting it this all happen. I'm a Chief and he's a leader - we're supposed to set an example. So I'm sorry."

"Thank you for the offer, but it's unnecessary. The cold never bothered me anyway."

"That might be so," Hiccup started thoughtfully. "But that doesn't mean you should have to put up with it."

Elsa looked touched, as if she had never heard such kindness before and he wondered what kind of life she led before living here. She slowly reached out for the blanket, unsure if she should be taking his offer, until finally she pulled it out of his hand and carefully wrapped it around her thin frame.

"Thank you." She mumbled sheepishly and smiled ever so slightly. It was vague & fleeting, yet it was enough for him to smile back and mentally applaud himself on at least doing one thing right tonight.

"It's no biggie. Now about that fire... We'll need some sort of pit."

"Allow me." She offered and with a wave of her hand, the ground below them split and cracked open, revealing a round patch of dirt and the ice which had been there previously formed around it & created a barrier of sorts. "Big enough?"

"Plenty," he replied with a warm smile. Turning back to his dragon, he asked; "Do you wanna do the honours?"

The Night Fury opened his mouth and a fireball shot to the ground. Steam rose from the ground, but no fire. Hiccup knelt to the ground and ripped some pages out of his sketchbook which was strapped to his arm, doused them in the flammable liquid and threw them into the pit. This prompted the dragon to repeat this action and within seconds, fire to came life. Brightening up the cave and warming the tired Chief.

Hiccup walked back back to the knapsacks and started rummaging through the provisions, grabbing his first aid kit and much to his delight, a bottle of ale. He had been planning to have a drink or two around a campfire one night during the trip, but now, he had a strong feeling it would be gone by the morning.

As he returned, the rider was surprised to see two small stools beside the fire and Elsa already sitting on one of them. Based on their clarity, he immediately deducted that they were crafted by ice and he wanted to ask the fair maiden if they would be even able to withstand the heat. However, she was probably aware of its capabilities otherwise she wouldn't have bothered, so he kept his mouth shut.

"Thirsty?" he asked, offering his bottle. She probably wouldn't like the taste, but it would be rude not to offer.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you, anyway."

In the light of the bonfire Hiccup could finally get a more vivid image of Elsa. First thing was that she was beautiful and how it was very different to the type of beauty he was use to in his part of the world. It was foreign yet alluring and he knew the men in his village would no doubt be attracted and embarrass themselves _(or worse case scenario, put their lives on the line) _to court the fair maiden.

Her hair was very interesting too - it was incredibly light _(almost white!) _and it was woven in a simple braid, much different to the women at home, with a few strands loose & flicked-back, as if windswept. Her eyes were lovely _(although it was hard to make out the colour from this lighting) _and yet, they held a dark look. It was something he could relate to, something he'd notice in his own whenever he'd catch a glimpse of himself from a reflective surface...

It was a look of someone in mourning.

It was uncomfortable and he wondered how the others back at home could bear watching their Chief with that expression. Then again, they've all lost someone important in this life - the life of a Viking, an occupational hazard - he wasn't selfish enough to believe he was the only one suffering.

"Nice place." He offered, hoping that it would enough to remove the unpleasant thoughts lingering through his over active mind. "So you live here all by yourself?"

_Really? That's the best you could come up with? _The rational side of his brain drawled sarcastically. _By Thor, even Tuffnut could offer a more intelligent conversation than you!_

It was kinda pathetic to think about it, but it was true. Hiccup knew he had gotten better much at social interacting, it was of the utmost importance as a leader, yet being here in this cave with this stunningly beautiful maiden with super awesome ice powers had left him feeling like that gawky teenager all over again.

_I guess some things never change. _

"That was a stupid question, sorry." He mumbled, wondering if he could make it to five minutes without making a fool of himself.

Toothless cooed and nuzzled his head against Hiccup's knee, jealous of the lack of attention. However, whatever chance he might have gained was quickly taken away when a small gasp could be heard. Turning his head to Elsa's direction, the Chief noticed her eyes directed on his prosthetic leg before she turned her head in the other direction, as if ashamed. It dawned upon him that she must've only just have noticed the difference.

"Oh that's okay. You can look it, I don't mind." He answered honestly, not at all offended by her curious gaze. "I lost it a long time ago and I forget that people might be affronted by the sight."

"It's impolite to stare," she replied uncomfortably. "My parents taught me to always be respectful of others and to treat them all as my equals. However, if you don't mind me asking - what happened?"

"Long story, believe it or not." The Chief chuckled, holding up the unopened bottle of ale in, he said, "Care for a drink? It's quite the tale."

She looked hesitant, before she flicked her wrist and managed to conjure a small cup made of ice. She then held it out to the rider as he finally opened the bottle. Pouring the liquid into the cup, Hiccup was mindful not to put too much in, just in case she didn't like the alcoholic beverage. He then took a large swig from the bottle and he could already feel himself becoming light-headed. Hopefully the maiden would be more mindful than him.

"Thank you." She spoke softly, managing to hold an air of poise.

"Careful, it's strong." He warned, however, it wasn't necessary. The maiden took a small sip to assess the ale, but showed no reaction of it affecting her.

"It's fine." She spoke hardly phased and his respect for her went up a notch. "You mentioned earlier that where you come from, there are people who wish to eradicate all dragons. Do this mean there is conflict in your land?"

"Yes and no. Where we come from is a place consisting of many islands, many different tribes and many different cultures - Berk is one of them. However, there are many that are still uncharted. Toothless & I have explored many of them and have added them all to our map, but there are still more out there. In fact, we're actually on one as speak."

"Here?" She looked surprised, obviously she hadn't expected to hear that.

"Yeah, I know right? I mean, what are the odds of that happening?" He asked, before letting out an amused chuckle. "Anyway, so for several hundreds of years our people have been at war with dragons. For Berk, it was particularly rough because we're a smaller province compared to the other tribes and suffered most of the dragons' rampage. They would raid our food supply and we would starve. And of course, being Vikings we tend to be rash & pig-headed so it never occurred to us that peace might be possible."

"Vikings?!" Elsa interrupted, looking alarmed.

A chill swept into the room and he noticed the walls were flashing a vibrant red again. Toothless perked up, growling in disapproval, before Hiccup slid a hand underneath the Night Fury's chin & started scratching. It worked, because the dragon immediately began purring, before deciding a snooze was in order.

Seeing his friend had calmed, he continued, "I know what you're thinking - and I don't blame you. I've heard many awful stories about the other tribes and their cruelty, but please don't think we're all like that. There are many good Vikings out there who would never commit such atrocities against their fellow man. Sure my people are stubborn and very boar-headed and some have a terrible sense of personal hygiene, but they're strong & tenacious and would never give up on what is right. I'm lucky to have them."

The maiden relaxed a little and noticed that while the room got warmer again, the glow of the cave shifted into a somewhat purplish hue. Hiccup wasn't sure how to take that, however, he would have to assume it meant she was still distrustful of him - not that he would hold it against her. He kept talking, hoping to keep her distracted:

"Growing up was difficult, I wasn't like the other children. We were raised to fight dragons and to have a _"kill & ask questions later" _mentality - while I struggled just to pick up a small axe. All my life I was called _"Hiccup the Useless" _and I had endure the acknowledgement that I was bringing shame upon my father. I couldn't even begin to imagine how much trouble I got him into growing up, my mother disappeared years before - abducted by a dragon during a raid - and I know it was a strain for him to be a father & a Chief."

Even now it was so hard to believe that his father was gone. Growing up, Hiccup envisioned his dad was invincible & impervious to all danger. It was foolish & naive, but he looked up to his father and he forgot regardless of his strength or status - Stoick was still a human with a heart which would eventually stop beating and lungs would stop breathing.

Both of which ironically, would've been crushed by the force of Toothless' blast.

_Stop, _he ordered his thoughts. _You know that he's suffering enough as it is without you agonising over it._

Of course he would. It had been a rocky at the beginning, but the former Chief & the Night Fury formed a close bond and for it all to be taken away in a careless moment was unbelievably cruel.

"During one raid when I was fifteen, I shot down Toothless with one of my inventions and he lost a tail fin as a result." He continued his story, hoping to cease the painful musings - even for a short amount of time. "He landed in the woods not too far from my village; wounded & defenceless and because I was so young & so eager for approval, I was ready to finish him off... But then, I looked into his eyes and I saw so much of myself in them, I just couldn't do it. I let him go and he jumped on top of me, I thought this was the end for me, instead he ran off."

Elsa listened enthralled, drinking in his every word and he was looking forward to seeing her end reaction.

"A few days later I went looking for him because I was curious. Our instructor, Gobber, told me that dragons would always go for the kill - I was at his mercy & yet he chose to let me live! I found him in the cove and realised he couldn't fly because of what I had done. So I befriended him and managed to engineer a new tail fin & we started practising flying. It took a while and it wasn't easy, but I'm a pretty quick learner. Soon, I even learnt a few tricks on how to tame dragons and for the first time, I was noticed by my peers. People would approach me and actually _talked _to me. It was a good feeling. My dad at this point was away on another expedition trying to find the dragons' nest. He believed if we destroyed it, the dragons would leave us alone. One evening, Toothless took me there and we discovered the Red Death."

"Red Death?" She wondered, looking a little confused.

"The Red Death was controlling the dragons - the Queen, you would say - and hence the reason why our village had been pillaged for so long. If the dragons didn't provide enough substance for the Queen, they would be eaten themselves."

Elsa looked positively sick and he couldn't help from noticing how the walls were now turning into a chartreuse shade.

"I know, it's not a very pleasant thought. I watched a Gronckle be devoured by the beast, it was like a tiny morsel for the creature. But you really didn't need to know that. So my dad returned and found out about my success, he also found out _how_ it came to be and it's safe to say he was pretty livid."

"How? If you don't mind me asking."

"I mentioned before we were trained; when we reached a certain age we'd be sent to an arena where several dragons were being kept for training purposes - it was also a competition. Whoever did the best during the training and who came out as the best pupil had the honour of slaying a dragon - a Monstrous Nightmare was selected & I was chosen to kill it. By that point, I had realised that we were completely wrong about them and I refused to fight. Unfortunately, my dad freaked out, not that I could blame him. After all, watching your only son throw away his weapon and approach a dangerous creature without any sort of protection would send any parent into protection mode. He intervened, the dragon freaked out and Toothless, even though he was far away from the village, could sense I was in danger and rushed in. My village was stunned, my dad was furious and they imprisoned Toothless as a result."

"So how come he's here now?"

"My father & I got into an argument and I told him that I had found the dragons nest and about Red Death, which was really stupid because I then told him it was impossible to find the place without a dragon. Dad assembled his best warriors and took off, using Toothless as a guidance. Fortunately, at that point one of my friends -" and he had to say it, because he really didn't want to say Astrid's name or dwell into it any further. "Already knew about Toothless and had gathered all the other teens, who had been training at the time, to join me. I showed them how to befriend their dragons and showed them how to fly. We then followed after the adults, who at that time were already battling the fierce Red Death."

"Was it really that fearsome?" she asked, looking at him with curious eyes.

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe it even if you saw it yourself. It was huge! I would almost say it was about the size of this mountain."

"This mountain isn't very big," she quipped with a thoughtful look. "But I can see your point."

"Anyway, things were looking bad for them and it was a rough battle. I managed to find Toothless and my father set him free. Long story short, we managed to lure it out into the sky and we were able to destroy it by exploiting its weakness."

"Weakness?"

"Dragons aren't fire-proof on the inside. The Red Death was annihilated and erupted into flames, we fell, Toothless managed to protect me from the flames and broke my fall. I woke up a few days later to find out I lost my leg as a result, but it didn't really matter - I was just grateful to be alive."

"So what happened next?" The maiden asked, looking enraptured and he felt a swell of pride.

"When I woke up I found Toothless in my house and when I went outside with him, I saw the villagers getting along with the dragons. Now that the Red Death was gone the dragons didn't need to raid us anymore and we found no need to slay them. So we learnt to co-exist with them. It wasn't easy, let me tell you and it's taken many years of hard work, but I like to think that Berk is now at peace."

"Wow, it was quite the story." Elsa said looking impressed.

Of course there was much more to it, but it really didn't seem necessary at the moment. She didn't need to know all the details.

"Well what about you?" Hiccup started. "What's your story?"

She looked surprised, then nervous and she finished it off with discomfort. The rider wondered if he had been too forward to ask or too intrusive and yet he couldn't help it. He was genuinely curious. After all, it's not everyday you meet a incredibly beautiful, young woman whose living in isolation and has super crazy ice powers.

"I was wrong." The woman said, rising gracefully from her seat. "I'm more tired than I realised. My apologies for cutting this so short."

He sighed, disappointed but not surprised. Just because he told her a bit about himself, didn't automatically mean she had to return the favour.

"I can make a bed for you if you like," she continued. "Though it would be made out of ice and you would probably get cold..."

"It's fine," he said. "I think I'll just wait out the storm."

Elsa glanced over towards the closed doors and looked uneasy. Hiccup wanted to reassure her that the storm would eventually clear, however, she probably already knew that and whatever he would say would be a waste of words.

"Alright..." She said reluctantly, probably feeling like a terrible host. "If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask."

She removed the blanket off her body and was about to hand it over when Hiccup held his hands up. "It's fine, I don't need it."

"But it's cold and I'm use to it," she protested.

"I'll be fine," he promised, wanting to assure the maiden. "I grew up where it snows nine months of the year & hails the other three. So believe me when I say I'll be fine. Besides, think of it as a token of my gratitude."

"I haven't done anything worth being grateful for." She replied with a frown.

"Well that's for me to decide."

Elsa bit her lip and Hiccup hoped she would take his offer. She really needed it more than him.

His answer came a moment later when she pulled the blanket back to herself and said, "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it." And he meant that. This woman was shrouded in mystery, fear & loneliness and yet after all she had endured tonight because of them, was still willing to allow them to stay. She seemed to have so little and he was glad to give her _something_ to repay her kindness_._

"I'll see you in the morning then. Good night, Chief Hiccup."

"Good night, Lady Elsa."

The maiden blinked, having not expected to hear herself be addressed with that title, before giving a nod and retreated to the back of the cave. Hiccup watched her figure become smaller and be enshrouded in shadow, before turning his attention back to the fire.

_This has been a weird night. _He couldn't help from thinking, before taking another sip.

Well _that_ was an understatement, but he didn't know what else to think. He met someone who could wield ice - who would've thought that would be possible? Certainly not him. A hundred questions were running through his mind at that point such as how old was she? What else could she do? Where's her village? Did she have family? Could they conjure ice too?

_But more importantly, _he wondered._ Why is she here? _

All good questions with no hope of receiving answers to. At least, not anytime soon.

Toothless cooed softly, slowly emerging from his slumber. Green eyes were revealed and he warbled a little before lifting his wing as a invitation to join him. Seeing the small gesture, the Chief couldn't help but be grateful to have the Night Fury in his life. Even after all the hardships they've endured together, it has only helped to strengthen their bond and Hiccup couldn't imagine it being any other way. He could only hope it would continue that way until the day he died.

As he settled down beside the warm dragon and the Viking knew his shoulder would be killing him in the morning, however, he didn't care at that point. All the excitement had gotten to him and the ale only relaxed him even further - all he wanted now was to fall asleep and get the rest of his ten hours in.

"Good night, Bud." He mumbled and he noted with great interest just before Toothless covered him with his wing and was encased in darkness, that the cave was now glowing a brilliant bright blue.

_Beautiful... _Was the only word he describe it before he drifted into a peaceful slumber.

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><p><em>Author's Note: Another chapter done and dusted. Way to go me! So what did everyone think? Liked it? Hated it? Please let me know what you think and post a review. I want to thank everyone who reviewed for the last chapter, even though it wasn't as many as the previous chapters, I'm still grateful towards those who took the time to put in feedback. Although in saying that, I do wonder what everyone thought... If you could review, I would really appreciate it. Otherwise, I feel like I'm doing a terrible job - as silly as it may seem.<em>

_Thank you to all those who've R&R and Favourited - they make my day. _

_Until next time._


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